Vietnamese Restaurant Owner, Woman Arrested Over Selling 0.4 Grams of Methamphetamine for 30,000 Yen in Saitama's Niiza
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Saitama Prefectural Police announced on August 19, 2026 that they had arrested Nguyen Van Con, 37, a Vietnamese national who runs a restaurant, and Truong Thi Tu Uyen, 26, also a Vietnamese national, on suspicion of violating the Act on Special Provisions for Narcotics. According to NTV News and other outlets, the two are accused of conspiring with associates in 2025 to sell roughly 0.4 grams of a powder believed to be methamphetamine to a Vietnamese man in his 20s for 30,000 yen on a street in Niiza City.
The Vietnamese restaurant run by Nguyen is believed to have served as a base for illegal drug sales. The case came to light during an investigation into an attempted theft by a separate group of Vietnamese nationals.
Current status: Whether the two have admitted to the allegations, the source of the drugs, and whether the case will be referred for prosecution remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.